Thomas, Thats my thoughts about Rekall. Unlike Access, it actually exposes a bit of database theory, especially if you plug it into a proper database at the backend. It's definately NOT the de facto, but it is graphical, and it is pretty, and it does the "forms" thing. Thomas On Fri, 7 Jan 2005, Thomas Adam wrote:
--- linuxgirlie
wrote: I have strong views on databases in schools and believe they should be taught something they can use out of school and not something useless.
What would you suggest they get taught, then? I only ever had the pleasure of using Access for three reasons:
1. It's the de facto under Windows. 2. It's graphical so that anyone (including the dog and cat) can use it. 3. It's all the teachers are able to "teach" (although, I'll cast aside their grasp on RDMS).
Access is dire -- I agree, but it is a trade off between using that in an environment that is already recognised by the students, and plonking them down at a Linux console with nothing but a MySQL prompt.
Any serious company would never use Access. If they did, they can fully expect to get what they deserve. Of course, as fortune would have it, the roles that most databases play are "back-end" places -- so the need for use is limited only to scripting via some form (dynamic website?). This usually suggests a "proper" database (not access) is being used. Although, again, if it is "classic ASP", I can still laugh.
I really would like to see an alternative to MS-Access being taught in schools. It's a shame (as per the same argument about Linux being used in schools) that MySQl (or postgresql) is not used. But I suppose there are good reasons for that. You'd have to teach the students about SQL as a language (and if it were anything decent, 'normalisation' too). But this is too advanced, I'd have said.
So, we fall back upon Access. The "toy" database. My own views are that if Access has to be taught, that it isn't taught at all. You can't learn anything from it, other than you can move a mouse around the screen, and create pretty forms. The _real_ work behind it is done for you -- albeit poorly.
-- Thomas Adam
===== "The Linux Weekend Mechanic" -- http://linuxgazette.net "TAG Editor" -- http://linuxgazette.net
"<shrug> We'll just save up your sins, Thomas, and punish you for all of them at once when you get better. The experience will probably kill you. :)"
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